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Summary Annual Report 2008 8 5. Strategy Executive summary Evolution in strategy In 2008 we put major effort into working with experienced Local Capacity Builders (LCBs) 1 . Our ambition to stimulate the enabling environment and work strongly with LCBs as clients, sub-contractors and partners is becoming part of the ‘SNV brand’: our way of achieving lasting development results. Our ambition to help improve the environment for local capacity development is one of the most essential developments in our corporate strategy. Local capacity builders are a vital resource for effective and sustainable local development. In 2008, SNV WCA put major effort into helping improve the environment for local capacity development. As a result, most WCA countries are coaching experienced LCBs and are working together with them, with the final goal that specific tasks from SNV can be taken over by them. Our services to LCBs include a training module that ranges from relatively simple training on specific operational issues (financial management, planning, HRM) to more complex organisational development. 1 For SNV a local capacity builder (LCB) is any type of actor that provides capacity development services to intermediate-level actors in order to reduce poverty, and is owned and run within the country or regional context. Sector Choices In 2008 there were no major deviations from the WCA Regional Strategic Plan 2008-2009. Our sector choices remained the same: education, water and sanitation, hygiene (WaSH), primary Health, and biogas sectors for increasing access to good basic services and the sectors agriculture, livestock, cotton, timber forest products, non timber forest products (NFTP) and tourism for increasing production, income and employment opportunities. In 2008 we started a roadmap to prepare ourselves for the new planning period 2010-2012. Part of the procedure is an analysis of our sectors and interventions. With this instrument we are able to make more accurate decisions on sector choices and intervention zones. This will help us to estimate costs and compare them with tangible results. Becoming a knowledge organisation In 2008 we undertook efforts to maintain and develop the quality of our knowledge management. To this end, we established sector based knowledge networks to bring all regional knowledge together. Development needs were identified with the help of an inventory. The knowledge SNV West & Central Africa
Summary Annual Report 2008 9 Strategy networks in specific fields are open platforms in which our advisors, leading clients, external expertise centres and professionals take part. Our knowledge brokering activities aim to enable local organisations and LCBs to access, apply and continuously renew their knowledge. During the course of these activities we exchanged, and consolidated our experiences and knowledge for the benefit of our clients, partners, colleagues and other actors (within and between sectors). Our efforts are in line with our ambition to become a true knowledge organisation. Repositioning and internal learning improve the quality, coherence and effectiveness of our services, we conducted various training, information and coaching sessions with management, portfolio teams and knowledge networks on, for example, Managing for Results and Governance for Empowerment. In 2009 these processes will be fully implemented and integrated. Internal situation Whilst the first part of 2008 was largely devoted to aligning our organisational structure and our client portfolio with our strategic ambitions, it also provided strong foundations for increasing the quality and impact of all our work. The transition went smoothly and advisors rose to the challenge of changing teams and, sometimes, sectors. The shifting and mixing of staff encouraged further thematic cooperation across teams and contributed to the overall ‘one SNV’ that we have become. Especially in DR Congo, 2008 was a year of transition. At the end of 2007, the Board of Directors decided formally to invest in DR Congo as a full country program. In 2008 the first steps were taken to implement this decision. Operational plans were finalised and actor constellations were designed as a basis for client engagement. We achieved results both in terms of enhanced client performance and the creation of an enabling environment. The impact of our practices is more difficult to assess. To sharpen the focus of our advisory practices, and to create a sound framework for result management, we will invest more in elaborating adequate baselines and results chains, and applying regular and effective monitoring. Internally, all countries went through a repositioning exercise. The number of teams was reduced in Benin, Cameroon, Mali and Burkina Faso. At the same time, thematic groups were formed across teams, based on sector choices. This matrix structure stimulates closer collaboration between and within sectors, leading to greater coherence, knowledge sharing, efficiency and possibilities to scale up. To SNV West & Central Africa
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